French Open 2022: Nadal tests injured foot; says 'glad' to be in Paris again
Follow13-time French Open winner Rafael Nadal was seen training on Court Philippe Chatrier on Wednesday for the 2022 tournament at Roland Garros.
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Spanish ace Rafael Nadal tested out his injured foot in his first practice at the French Open 2022 on Wednesday without any obvious discomfort. The 13-time champion at Roland Garros delighted fans gathered at the Court Philippe Chatrier in Paris as he looked geared up to create history in his favourite hunting ground.
Also read: French Open 2022: Rafael Nadal, Novak Djokovic served warning by Carlos Alcaraz
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Welcomed by Greece's Stefanos Tsitsipas, the world number four who was runner-up in 2021, Nadal trained with Spanish compatriot Jaume Munar. And taking to Instagram, the 21-time Grand Slam champion expressed delight to be back in Paris.
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"Good evening Paris ❤️ 🇫🇷 Glad to see you again 😉💪🏻😘 @rolandgarros #Paris #Tennis," wrote the Spaniard in an Instagram post alongside a photo of him smiling as the Roland Garros logo can be seen in the background.
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It was the 35-year-old's first public appearance since suffering a recurrence of a chronic foot injury in his Italian Open third-round loss to Denis Shapovalov last week.
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"I'm not injured, I am a player living with an injury. That's it. It's something that is there unfortunately and my day by day is difficult. I am trying hard but of course it is difficult for me. A lot of days I can't practice," Nadal told reporters in Rome.
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On Wednesday, the Spanish ace gave no indication that the effects of the injury had followed him to the French capital as he practised for two hours.
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Nadal, chasing a record-extending 22nd Grand Slam title, will learn his first-round opponent in Thursday's draw.
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The 13-time French Open champion, defeated in the semi-finals by eventual champion Novak Djokovic 12 months ago, has an astonishing record of 105 victories against just three losses at the tournament since his title-winning debut in 2005.
